Fly Or Die

This one is hard to pigeon-hole, which is a good thing - its a mix of hip hop, jazz, prog, and rock. Truly eclectic and original. We need more modern music that's hard to label and pushes the envelope like this on this list. Plus it was a pleasure to listen to.

One thing I've enjoyed about this exercise is discovering music that is new to me and interesting to listen to. This fits the category. As in, some guy named Pharrell is on the drums, Lenny Kravitz is featured on a couple of tracks, and one guy on the cover is giving the vulcan salute. Live long and prosper.

Can’t believe this was made by a man made out of legos

I feel like I really like this album in theory. It has a unique sound that crosses a lot of genre lines with even some 2010s level production near the end and Pharrell is in his prime but for some reason I just couldn’t get into it. I honestly thought I was listening to the same song for the first like 20 minutes and I was just mildly bored for the rest of it. The second Lenny kravitz feature was probably my favorite but I doubt I’ll remember this album by tomorrow.

Remember back in the early 2000s when everything sounded like The Neptunes or NERD or Pharrell? I really didn’t like that homogeneous and generic times in pop. A lot of it sounds really sleazy to me. Well turns out these lads were capable of much more and have some very jazzy ideas. I guess if pop stars keep turning up at your studio, offering thousands of dollars for the next sleazy, generic hit, who can blame them for grabbing the cash?

I'm not sure what this album was supposed to be.

I listened to this entire album and I'm not sure what to make of it. Does it blend genres? Yes. Does it bring anything new to the table? Not necessarily. Was it memorable? Not at all.

not my bag but alright. Real good melodies, not abrasive... just nothing special to take away from the listening experience

wtf is this? I'm offended I wasted time on this half-arsed mediocrity, what's next - Macklemore? Utterly shit, one of the very few on this list I've skipped through without finishing (and I listened to the Lenny Kravitz album in full). I've heard better Kidz Bop compilations.

Pharell is my enemy

"Don't judge a book by its cover" was my first thought after listening to the first song. The cover, after all, is horrible. Based on it, I was expecting a 1/5 album. I appreciated the first song and that's it - unfortunately, the longer I was listening the worse it got. Don't give me hope and then take it violently!

2004 must have been a year reviewers where smoking crack and taking bungs. How this is rated is beyond me, let alone in this list Absolutely terrible.

Can’t believe we used to let these wallies make all the music back in the 2000s. Load of shite.

NERD’s first album, In Search Of…, deserves to be on this list, it’s excellent. At a push, The Neptunes’ album Clones could make it on the list too, if only because it signifies a time when their productions dominated pop and rap music. This album, on the other hand, is woefully bad. I actually get irritated listening to it - my first one star.

It's a catch 22. His voice doesn't work for the music they are playing. And I think he knows it. He tries to hide how smooth and soulful his voice really is when he tries to growl out some of these lyrics. But at the same time without his voice it would just be a generic band. It's. Ok.

Almost jumping into guilty pleasure territory, but you know what? Guilty pleasures shouldn't exist. Enjoy what you enjoy. I enjoyed the hell out of this. It's a mix of a few different genres, and it was GREAT.

What a disappointment this album was. I was going in blind having never heard it, however, I am quite aware of The Neptune's reputation. Also, a friend mentioned being high on 2002's "In Search Of..." which lead me to believe there would be more quality on here. After listening to a few select tracks from "In Search Of..." I could hear the Warped Tour energy at work on that album. Those tracks had a rebellious enthusiasm to them. Full of alternative rock riffs that could swallow the vocals when needed to keep the party going. "Fly or Die" seems to leave all of that behind for a more juvenile experience. The sound on this album is boring. Also, the songwriting and vocals add nothing or at worst are a net negative. Maybe on a few of these tracks you could extract the vocals the underlying instrumental sound would be worth jamming with, but its not worth effort. There is certainly a polish to the sound, but ultimately it is an album devoid of any wit, in the songwriting or music.

I never really knew NERD beyond She Wants To Move and this album was a delightful surprise. Fave tracks are probably Breakout, Wonderful Place / Waiting For You. I look forward to spending more time with this.

Some great song... The front half of the album slays with a slight let down on the back half but still great

Rating: 10/10

I don't get the classification of this. It's definitely not hip-hop. For a start I liked it! I can't hear obvious samples. They sing rather than read. Everything had meat. Plenty going on. Lyrics a bit crazy (the parts I listened to) but pretty good. Never heard of them. I assume they were short lived (with Pharrell going onto bigger things). But a solid 3½ bumped up because I think it's a grower

A fun album through and through. I have no real reason not to give this 5-stars, other than it doesn't FEEL like a 5-star masterpiece. Just good music. The bonus tracks are a bit annoying - I wish they would just make them their own tracks.

What a great record. I’ve always liked Pharrell, but knew nothing about his part in this outfit. This is not a hip-hop album. It’s high-quality pop. Full of great hooks and totally interesting music. Particularly love the opening track, Don’t Worry About It, Backseat Love, She wants To Move & the epic Wonderful Place (with hidden track Waiting For You) - so personal & unlike anything else on the album. And special mention to Maybe, which features Lenny Kravitz & Questlove - a quality ballad. No duds here. They even get away with the repetitive refrain of the name Mildred in the final track. That’s good going.

I played this a few times while doing different things with two of my adult kids. They knew it and also knew Pharrell’s other projects. I never heard of them. I was also told that NERD stands for “no one ever really dies.“ We were hiking and cutting through a graveyard when I was told this so I had a hard time getting it. When I first saw the album I mistakenly thought it was another hip hop offering. Glad to learn that I like rap rock more. There’s some fun stuff on this. I’ll round up.

I cannot believe how dull I ended up finding this, I high high expectations but I really struggled to get through it

I don't think the sound has aged super well. Some songs like Drill Sergeant sound super corny - maybe they always did. But generally the hooks are undeniable, the Neptunes production chops are there on full display. The early 2000s feels like the new 80s. Catchy songs with a sound that has aged badly, rife for guilty pleasures. Fave Tracks: Fly or Die, She Wants to Move, The Way She Dances 3.2/5

This Pharrell guy seems to have a few ideas, I hope the music business works out for him.

Frat-boy rock/rap/R&B hybrid. Some things shouldn't be mixed, like sausage and ice cream. Just... No. I guess I'll give credit to the effort. It's clean and well produced but isn't that the case with 90% of music after the year 2000? You have to make an effort, or intentionally *NOT* do something, in order to give it a 'rough' production feel. "Wonderful Place" was ambitious, and the track with Lenny Kravitz was OK, but primarily because they broke away from the awful rock/rap formula on the rest of the album. This is faint praise, tho and a weak argument for the rest of the work. Instead of something interesting with this mix instead we get what I imagine Ed Hardy tshirts sound like. I can viscerally smell all the Axe Body Spray. The tracks sound dated and the arrangements are downright obnoxious. "Backseat Love" and "Jump" were irritating and I cringed at the busy arrangements on the rest. (2/5) And a 'low' 2 from me out of respect for the attempt and the better stuff Pharrell will later go on to do.

Some ok songs, overall not for me and I don't get why its on the list.

T.U.R.D. …just kidding, a bit. It’s not bad, but it’ll wear your patience thin.

Much more boring than I thought it would be.

There’s really nothing wrong with this - it’s an interesting mashup of genres that often works well - it just wasn’t clicking with me today. I can’t put my finger on it, but there was something about it that reminded me of the Elvis Costello albums I’ve listened to in this project, and it irritated me in the same way. Too upbeat, maybe? Hovering between a 2 and a 3…

Another entry I'd never heard of, and while I'm obviously not familiar with much of his work, seeing Pharrell on the cover of it didn't inspire a ton of confidence. That said, I was not prepared for how rough an experience was ahead of me. What some describe as "genre bending" I would call disjointed and haphazard. The vocals in this album seemed unable to settle on what they were trying to accomplish and often wound up sounding like the crackling warble of a nervous teenager, and maybe that's what they were. And the lyrics themselves didn't help, either. I had trouble finishing several of the tracks, they were so annoying and childish. A stone cold 1/5 that still might be just a hair above Morrissey.

Never heard of this outfit and listening i know why. Music not made for my age group so cannot comment. Do not like at all. 1/5 18/5/34

Like his gigantic hat, I think this falls into Pharrell's "questionable choices" category. The chords and syncopation felt really at odds with the vocal style and fuzzy guitars. Tonally it feels dated and emotionally immature with stuff like Jump. I feel like the idea had merit in exploring whatever intersection there may be between rap rock and jazz and but the execution fell steeply short of being an enjoyable listen. It felt like the sort of thing your friend who definitely should keep his day job would foist upon you, saying he's hit on something truly unique. I started to feel embarrassed listening and did not finish. On the other hand it was good to be reminded that even the greats can take big swings and miss, and it doesnt invalidate the great other stuff theyve made. Will not be revisiting.

Genuinely shocked by how much I hated this. Pharrell just doen't have the vocal talent to elevate his cheesy ass lyrics. The drum sounds are mixed so lound in each song. Drill Sergeant is one of the worst 'protest' songs I've ever heard and sounds like it was made by a 15 year old who has never read a book but has heard of a few. 1/5

This was honestly a slog to get through. I found I was constantly checking how many more songs I had left before I could tick this off. Safe to say I will not be listening to this again.

Wow, did I hate this! It's just so aggressively mediocre - why is it on this list?!? I can't figure out the audience for this and the vocal style is just so weird and underwhelming

I was not expecting this low on 1001 albums. My time has been wasted

I am so upset I just found out this existed. I am overjoyed I just found out this existed.

Loving it so far

Lowkey eines der besten Alben auf dieser Liste bisher. Es gibt da soviele Genres drinnen. Die Rhymes sind genial und der Text macht trotzdem Sinn. Also wirklich gute Musik.

Pharrell production plus live instrumentation equals a damn good record. Solid 5 Stars.

Well! This was a blast! I've always dug She Wants To Move, but I didn't expect the rest of the songs to match its energy and funkiness. Nice to remember why Pharrell is such a big deal. I would've never listened to this album if not for this list, so... hey, cool!

это было круто

Definitely a great rap-rock album. Definitely underrated. It incorporates Soul, R and B, Rap, and Rock, which are all genres that I am a fan of. Criminally underrated.

Qué discazo!!! Siempre fue una combinación que me gustaba. Escucharlo entero de una tacada lo hace hasta más disfrutable pasado el tiempo. Reconozco que tenía muchas guardadas como favoritas, pero hoy he metido casi todas las demás. Un 5 estrellas *****.

slapped and unique sound

Yesterday I find out Robert Carradine from Revenge of the Nerds has died and today my album is N.E.R.D. What are the odds? And then my wife tells me that Pharrell is pronounced Fuh-Rell, not feral, like my outside cats. The vocals are pretty outstanding, as is the production. This album sounds like they're having fun. Live long and prosper indeed.

Man I wish I had heard of this when it came out. Kid me would have loved this. And it is a real treat to listen to. It's a diverse set of hip hop and rock tracks and they're all smooth as butter. This should be Pharrell's lasting legacy instead of Blurred Lines and Happy. Love this album.

J'ai beaucoup aimé, des instrus très variés et groovy ! J'irai sans doute voir leur discographie un peu plus en détail

I forgot to listen but i’ll update this ojay

Like this a lot

OOPS!

Fly or Die is a mindset built on pressure: you either adapt fast, take risks, and level up or you get left behind. Fucking excellent.

First listen. Thank you. Enjoyed that one.

не знаю почему у этом говне оценка по 5 бальной, я бы поставил 4.9 чисто для выебона на самом деле каждфй трек очкеь понравился, все музыкально, с вниманием к деталям, что и ожидалось от Фарелла

This album blends the best genres of 2000s music, and is an early 21st Century masterpiece. Prior to this album, I was only loosely aware of N.E.R.D., and I'm happy to re-discover them(I also heard the song "She Wants To Move" for the first time in about ten years, and I had forgotten all about it! I love it when this happens. Favorite Track: "She Wants To Move".

Really enjoyed this one.

I really enjoyed it. I prefer their first album but this is a really fun rock album

fun!

Fav: Breakout Least Fav: Wonderful Place / Waiting For You Surprised I enjoyed this so much, I guess this and The ArchAndroid have shown me that albums that can successfully mix rock, jazz and hip hop together are my weakness

I discovered N.E.R.D maybe a year ago fell in love pretty quick, but haven’t heard this album before. It’s categorized as hiphop/rap, but it has more consistent rock production elements to it than any other N.E.R.D record I’ve listened to… which I dig. I think Seeing Sounds is still MY top nerd album, but this should no less a testament to N.E.R.D‘s versatility and range (which, given all the talent in the project’s roster, is expected)

Could be a hot take, but this album was incredibly good. Production and diversity were vast with the only blemish being Backseat Love because wtf?

N.E.R.D FOR LIFE

Loved this album

wasn't expecting something like this today! is it pop, rock, funk? i don't know for sure, but when you take the likes of chad hugo, shae hayley, and freakin' PHARRELL WILLIAMS?! you might just have an overlooked masterpiece. compared to their last album, they're playing the instruments themselves instead of producing beats electronically. this album has a heavy nostalgic energy to it; if you were the awkward kid just trying to get through the likes of high school, you might relate to the album's themes of social alienation, peer pressure and the earnest dreams of youth. definitely the sort of album you don't wanna miss out on.

I’ve definitely heard of N.E.R.D before, but I’ll admit I knew nothing about them. I didn’t even know that Pharrell Williams was in a band before going solo, so perhaps I live under a rock. After seeing that a super-popstar was involved, I didn’t expect the album to be as rock influenced as it was. It’s a fascinating mashup of rock, pop, with some hip hop tendencies too. The only other person I can think of with a similar sound to this is Lupe Fiasco, which is definitely high praise. I liked this album much more than I expected to.

Yeahhhhhh. This shit BANGS. Also Pharrell invented tyler the creator damn.

Perfect album for a sunny day

PHARELL WILLIAMSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Oh my God. I love this album so much and did NOT expect to see it here. What a great surprise. I didn't know that anybody really knew about this album. Pharrell's funk rock album. It's just awesome. It's cool to see other people recognize it as special.

Liebe das Album. Backseat Love immer noch ein Hit.

N.E.R.D. will always have a space in Hip-Hop lore because of their versatility. The way this album has so many different genres flowing through it is what makes it so great. They did a lot of different things very well on here and they also made it make sense. I understand the low ratings because people in general have a hard time with things when they can’t find a box to place it in. So they reject it because they just can’t compute it. I implore you to put what you usually think something of a certain genre should sound like and try to listen with an open mind. It might sound way different to you plus that’s what this project is all about! Fantastic album, legendary collective, 757 forever!

Exceptional rock rap infusion. Very well done.

Amazing, never heard it before, was enjoying every song

I think I really liked this album a lot. I ended up listening to it on repeat about four times while on the computer just unwinding. There is an era of music I think this fits neatly into and that 2004 date does not surprise me at all. Its hard to get into the technical aspects because it overall just took me such surprise. I read some reviews which I don't want to do for any other album but something I saw the idea of these musicians subverting the expectation by creating such a different style of music than they normally do. I don't know if it was that exactly or the lack of sleep but I greatly enjoyed this album all the way through, I mean my god, Lenny Kravitz. Amazing.

Immediately hooked by the funk and the vibe keeps hold. So much talent in this group making cross-genre songwriting and instrumentation seamless and groovy.

Ah, so this is why Pharrell is a star… Enjoyed this one a lot. Big fan.

Very nice.

actually kinda fire ngl, wasn’t expecting to love it but every song hit and i could for sure return to it. it isn’t necessarily perfect so i don’t think it’s a sure 5 star, but it’s closer to a 5 than it is a 4.

NERD is a great band that is hard to categorize. It has a touch of rap, rock and jazz. There's a technical genius in this music as well as a casual vibe ("Every once in a while there's that same asshole / Try to swing and hit, 'cause the things he can't control"). I'm an old fan of this band and this album and it's a pleasure because it never gets old.

enjoyed this a lot

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this album as much as I did. Great album.

a great surprise!

I had this album when it first came out, although I didn't listen to it loads. I think it is good background music - music to listen to while driving

nahhh this is my favorite album of all time! omg! it’s already getting 5 stars!

11/28/23. I have to give Pharrell his due here; this album flows really well and diverse! I love hip hop albums that push the boundaries. Will add to the rotation.

Unfair, because this is an album I listened to for months whenever I was on the train to school. Happy to report it still holds up after all these years, but that might just be nostalgia and memories talking. Who cares if it does, though?

Emo

vai nerdola

Quite fond of N.E.R.D. generally, so fun seeing this. A bit sad they chose this album and not "In Search Of..." Which feels objectively better. But maybe that will show up, who knows. For some reason I get stuck up on some lyrics on this album that feels outdated and semi-predatory, like "Her ass is a spaceship I want to ride" in 'She Wants To Move'. Not sure why, as this is child's play compared to WAP by Cardi B. That aside, the album stands out compared to similar acts from the same time. They blend hip hop, electronics, and cool guitar riffs effortlessly. Pharell really has that unique voice that takes it to the next level as well. 'She Wants To Move' is a level above the rest, but it's generally just a good even record without any real low points. Weak 4!

Somewhere between parody and actual rock gods. Played with such utter enthusiasm and joy, I loved it from the first ott riff to the last!

Sometimes juvenile, this mashup of styles has more interesting pop flourishes and hooks than most albums. The songs themselves are a bit hit-or-miss, but overall it works. The Neptunes follow their pop instincts throughout and all of it is a fun listen. You can see why they have produced so many successful singles.

N.E.R.D. is an artist I've been wanting to get into for quite sometime but they have never really clicked for me since I'm not always a big fan of Pharrell's vocals (in general, not specific to N.E.R.D.). "In Search Of..." is the only album of theirs I've listened to up until now. Both albums are about equally as good in my opinion, but I could see myself getting more into this one upon subsequent listens. Favorite track: Jump 3.5/4

2026.06.08

In their wisdom, the Powers That Be seem to have decided that much of this album is too rude for the delicate ears of the proletariat. Which is a shame because the 5 tracks we're allowed are pretty good. A nice combination of rap and pop that goes down quite well on a scorching London morning. An extra star to stick it to The Man. 4*

This was awesome N.E.R.D. is awesome. Pharrell did so much for the time and this stuff I think has aged the best. As pop music transitioned more maximalist into hyperpop the creativity and complexity has aged very well. This was nearly a 5 but as it stands just a tremendous pop album.

Pharell is involved, so you can of course count on great, creative, genre-bending production and quality sound engineering. This is pretty much a funk-rock record in sound but a hip hop record in spirit. You have lyrics about skateboarding, fashion, money and so on but all wrapped in funk grooves and guitar-based instrumentation. Pretty funny combination but if someone could pull it off it's definitely Pharell. Backseat Love and Thrasher are not that good, but the rest of the album is banging.

Turns out there’s actually a good way to make rap-rock. Some new wave, some soul. Occasionally sounds like the British punk band Wire. I mean that as a great compliment.